


The champion weds the prince

by Demon_Calcifer



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuban Lance, Eventual relationship, Galra Keith, I'll add more tags as i go, I'm bad at tags, Lance does what he has to to survive, M/M, POV Change, Real marriage but feels like fake marriage, Slow Burn, is it obvious yet?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-09-14 14:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9186311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demon_Calcifer/pseuds/Demon_Calcifer
Summary: Lance is taken from his colony, humans have spread to new planets outside of Earth's solar system, by the Galra. He doesn't know how long he had been fighting for his life but when he is given the opportunity, he takes it. And so what if it means marrying the grumpy Galran prince? A man does what he has to. But will Keith be able to handle being bonded on top of trying to prove to Zarkon's generals that he is fit to take over the Empire? Will the two of them develop feelings for each other while they are in such close quarters? So begins there lives as Zarkon uses any and all means to further his goals, even if it means potentially hurting his nephew and heir.Edit: just adjusting the thing, carry on





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had this floating around in my documents for a while and I wanted to put it up (or some of it up) to see how it would do. 
> 
> If there are any issues please let me know, I reread it before I put it up but another pair of eyes is always welcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made some edits and added more where I felt it could be smoother, if it's an improvement on the og first chapter let me know

Lance stood in the center of the sunken arena, one hand still wielding the sword as the other clamped hard on an open wound in his side, not deep enough to kill him but more than deep enough to hurt like hell. Hot blood seeped from between his fingers and all of his muscles screamed in all sorts of different pains. He had won, which meant little more than surviving until his next fight but adrenaline was still coursing through Lance’s veins; hot and fast as his lungs struggled to pull in burningly sweet oxygen and heart pounded with a sickening sense of life and victory. Slain opponent at Lance's feet quickly bleeding out. He was in far worse shape than Lance, Lance looked away. He may have ended lives in the arena but he never enjoyed it; he was left with little choice and hated looking upon his handiwork. Even as the crowd around him cheered, it was not the kind of attention Lance wanted. And just when he was ready for some guards to take him back to his cell, the only place Lance felt safe after being taken, the figure shrouded in shadow who sat in an exclusive balcony spoke. 

“Champion,” the voice that spoke from the shadows was rich and deep, but one would be a fool not to hear the hard edge from years of command. The entire stadium fell silent instantly, you could have heard a droplet of water hit the floor or the soft plopping of blood hitting the arena floor echo. “You have entertained me greatly during your captivity. I feel particularly generous today so as a reward, ask for something. As long as it does not include your release it very well may be granted” 

Lance straightened, hand falling away from his bleeding wound and stood as tall as he could. The simple motion had his entire body howling in pain and caused even more hot blood to run down his side, muscles on the verge of seizing up but Lance schooled his expression into one of all to easy neutrality. He had one chance, it had to be something good.  _ Think Lance, think _ . This was his chance to leave the rat race, so to speak.  _ Make it good, Lance. You don't get another chance. _ Not wanting to waste the opportunity Lance thought carefully but quickly, weighing his options with great care. Then he was struck with an idea, in Lance's opinion it was the most amazing idea ever conceived by humans. Well maybe apart from exfoliator, but not everyone appreciated exfoliator. Lance breathed in, deeply and steeled himself, praying his voice would be steady and loud enough.

“My wish is to marry the Galran prince.” It was the best thing Lance could think of. Power, status and best of all he wouldn't have to battle for his life - he hoped anyway. Who cared if he had to be married to an alien, or a guy alien. Did aliens even have gender? But still it was better than dying in this shit hole. 

Keith’s ears twitched at the declaration. The human wanted to what? Marriage? Was he being serious?  But the only thing Keith could do was clench his fists, powerless. He was seated in one corner of the balcony overlooking the arena, encased in shadow. Even though he was a ways away he heard Zarkon’s half purr of contemplation. Was he seriously considering it? Zarkon was Keith's uncle, since the Emperor never mated he never had children of his own, so when Keith was born to his brother, Thace, Zarkon adopted him. Partly to stop infighting amongst the generals and partly to secure the future of the empire if Zarkon were to ever fall. 

Keith couldn't tell what his uncle was thinking so he turned his gaze back to the human. He was dark skinned and lean, but Keith had seen enough fights so he knew better than to call the boy lanky, even if he was long limbed. Even from where the prince sat he could see the boy's eyes glowed blue with some emotion Keith couldn't place. The boy hadn't taken his eyes off the partially concealed throne and Keith could almost, if he strained his hearing, almost hear the soft plap plap of the champions blood as it hit the metal floor. After what seemed to be an eternity to Keith, Zarkon gave him a measuring side glance before addressing the tan boy below him. 

“Very well.” Zarkon boomed. Keith's ears twitched, the only indication he was unhappy. “You will be taken to heal and have your wounds tended to, then be wedded before dinner.” This time Zarkon looked directly at Keith as if daring him to speak against him, but Keith only lowered his gaze to study his boots, knowing he could do nothing. Taking that as his answer Zarkon ordered the guards to take the Champion to the medical bay and then promptly left. Leaving Keith to watch as a visibly relieved human dropped his weapon and was taken out of sight by three heavily armed guards. 

Keith, for a long time, didn't move from his chair. Nails biting into his palms and anger biting into his throat. He had never given much thought to find a bonded mate, he wanted one sure but be was young. To have such a decision be made for him with no regard for what he wanted caused an all too familiar rage to rise up from his chest and settle on his tongue sourly. 

“Keith.” The voice was gentle and firm; a reminder of where and who he was. All too fast he stood, whipping upon the Galra who stood between him and the exit. With a muted growl Keith maneuvered passed, deftly evading the half-hearted outstretched hand. Keith needed to be alone, needed to spend his last minutes unbonded locked in his room before he could never be truly alone again. 

 

#####  X

 

Lance’s wounds were quickly but properly tended to. The level of treatment skyrocketed from what he had received before, which was admittedly nothing most of the time. Even old injuries were readdressed, scars becoming slightly less raised and smoother, alien tech was really something. After the threat of infection and/or future complications were diverted, along with a flurry of needles, Lance was manhandled into a bath. But bath wasn’t quite right, if Lance had to compare it it anything it would be getting scrubbed after being exposed to something radioactive. Coarse brushes like wire brooms were raked over his skin and he was washed down with at least six different smelling gels. With his skin now chafed raw and smelling like a cacophony of overpowering perfumes, he was then stuffed into a plain white outfit. Just a shirt and pants, both bleach white and plain. Did aliens even use bleach? Lance tried not to think to hard on things that reminded him of home, which seemed to be any and every human thing he could think of, and thought of what he had gotten himself into now.

Soon enough Lance was ushered, forcefully he might add, into another room. This one more grand and elaborate than anything he'd seen so far. A place fit for royalty. Tapestries lined the cold walls, purple and grey and black; menacing pale violet lights casting long and sharp shadows. 

The ceremony, if one could even call it that, was mercifully short. Just some weird exchange of arm bands, they seemed to take the place of rings but they didn’t come off, like ever, it didn't make sense to Lance however long he thought about it so he dropped it. The prince was both nothing and everything Lance had thought he would be at the same time. Just an inch or two shorter, much smaller than any Galra he'd ever seen, slightly longer hair and more on the black side as opposed to purple, and skin only a slight shade of violet. That’s right skin, Lance saw little to no fur on the prince's body from what he could see, mostly his face and hands but also his arm when the band was placed. Lance also noted that his features weren’t unlike his own, human, though slightly off. He had cat ears and Lance wanted to rub them so badly as they flicked about, they were simply adorable. But his eyes were what tripped Lance up the most, they weren't entirely the erie yellow as all the others, no, Keith had proper pupils though they were yellowy gold and threaded with what Lance could only assume was a deep amethyst. The prince was handsome, if only for a Galra. Then he was ushered, unceremoniously and urgently, to a room that was a proper bedroom.

Leaning against the heavy door Lance picked at the arm band. It was made of something that could be gold with intricate symbols engraved in it and it was wrapped around his arm so the two ends were above and below the solid middle. The band was strong, he had tried to pull it off but it was bonded to his skin somehow, but flexible enough so it didn’t constrain his movements. Lance also knew the prince had one identical to his own, he had watched as the metal was bound to lavender skin. After Lance had inspected the shit out of what he knew was to be his new cell he turned his attention to the bathroom. Or what he expected to be a bathroom since it was attached to the main bedroom. Where he was told to wash up once more. He had been scrubbed down not an hour ago but they wanted him to take another bath? Maybe it was to cover his very human scent.

But this bathroom was leagues above where he had been assaulted. It was large and decorated in red in place of the purple that permeated every inch of Galran life, it was an oddly welcome change. The bath itself reminded him of the drawings of Grecian bathhouses he’d seen in his home town's museum. At its deepest part Lance could sit at the bottom and the water would only reach just above his shoulders, the only downside was the water wasn't really water - it was more solid and less runny than H2O, but not uncomfortable- and the alien soaps here at least smelled kinda nice. Much more tolerable than the over-scented stuff that was forced on him. The rest of the bathroom was minimal, a separate shower, sink and a few things scattered on the seemingly excessive amount of counter space. The bedroom adjacent was pretty minimalistic too, now that Lance thought about it. After his new fate was sealed the small prince had gone with Zarkon, to talk politics Lance guessed, so a finely dressed servant lead him to this room. Lance didn't know how long he had been sitting in the strange bath since he didn't get pruney, but decided to get out anyway. As Lance dried off he noticed fresh clothes had been laid out for him, a long white shirt trimmed with gold and royal blue with matching pants. Along the collar and sleeve hems, small and strange flowers - Lance couldn't be sure- weaved delicately together. Upon closer inspection the embroidery looked to be hand done and very well done at that. The slippers were solid midnight blue. 

Exiting the bathroom into the bedroom made Lance shiver, it wasn't as warm in the bedroom. But the temperature wasn't the only thing to send shivers down Lance’s spine, no that was awarded to the half naked Galran prince standing facing the bed as he pulled off the shirt he wore earlier. Lance averted his gaze out of some emotion he refused to name, but not before he got a good look at the prince's toned back. Lance could admit it when he saw an attractive person and, begrudgingly, the prince was attractive. For a Galra, anyway. Lance wondered what being in space had done to him.

“You look presentable.” The prince's voice was nearly monotone, tinged with something Lance couldn't quite put his finger on. Lance had been so engulfed in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that the other had turned. He looked up to see the other in a robe similar to his own but trimmed in red and purple with even more intricate embroidery, it crawled up his sleeves like thin, tiny ivy and bordered the bottom hem of his shirt as well. It was quite good and made Lance kinda impressed, whoever had done it was talented. “Is the fit okay?” Lance must have had a confused look because the Galran gestured to the clothes he wore. 

“Huh? Oh yeah it's fine. No complaints here.” The prince just nodded, once precisely, satisfied. “So ah, not to be rude but what are you doing here?”  _ And changing in someone else's room? _ It was the prince's turn to look confused.

“These are my quarters.” He said it so matter of factly that it took Lance a moment to process the information, but before he could open his mouth to ask anything the prince spoke again. “In fact this whole wing is mine exclusively. Well, not so much anymore considering our situation.” The prince barked a dry laugh.

“Um…” Was Lance’s profound answer. 

“We’re bonded,” he tapped a slender violet finger to the gold band around his upper right arm, which was exposed since the right sleeve stopped just above the gold band, as if to display it. That put things into a different light, Lance just thought it was some weird Galran thing to have uneven sleeves. “So it's only natural for us to sleep together in the same room at least.” The prince continued as his hand fell back to his side. “But since I pretty much know why you made this wish, after dinner I’ll let you sleep here.”

“And where will you sleep if this is your bedroom?” Lance cared, even though he knew he probably shouldn't, but this Galra didn't seem as bad, he at least wasn't looking down at Lance like a lesser being. The prince shrugged and perched gracefully on a nearby chair, pouring himself a cup of some dark liquid. Space tea?

“My study. I sleep there often enough. So it will make little difference to sleep there full time.” And that was it, the prince offered no further explanation and Lance did not press the issue. 

 

#####  X

 

Keith sipped at his drink and read a colony report, he was a touch behind his work, while they waited to be summoned for dinner. In a silence so thick he could cut it with the knife he hid in his boot. It was the only one Keith could feasibly keep hidden while outside of stuffy and thick prince getup. 

The champion looked good in a nobleman's robe, fitted in all the right places and what he hadn't noticed before was just how wide the human's shoulders were, in the shabby prisoners clothes much was hidden, much broader than his own. Thankfully dinner was called not long after that and they walked down the long empty halls of Keiths wing of the castle. Too silent like always until the human broke it. 

“Hey Mullet, what's the dinner for anyway?”

“Mullet?” Keith sounded out the foreign word, it felt funny on his tongue. 

“Yeah Mullet, since your hair is long ya know?” He didn't and the human’s hand gesture didn't help,  so Keith chose to ignore it.

“The dinner is just part of the ceremony, mostly it's just for show. So don't worry about making conversation. In fact, I’d much prefer if you didn't at all.” The champion hummed, seemingly satisfied and relieved, but after several heartbeats Keith spoke again. “Keith.” 

“What?”

“Keith, my name. I assume you didn't know so I told you. I can't have you calling me names in front of the generals.” 

“Keith, huh it sounds so normal. Mines Lance by the way.” They were silent the rest of the way to the dining hall. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working on the other chapters but unsure how to make a friendship/romance believable in such a situation.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's troubles only just begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got some mixed reviews from the last chapter so here's the next bit. I hope you all like it

Dinner was marginally uneventful apart from disapproving glances, which Keith responded with his own even stare, he had to display authority and that he wasn’t taking shit. At the head of the table sat his uncle who was on his right and Lance to his left, his father sat across from him at the overly large table. In his peripheral he saw Lance pick at his plate, clearly distressed at sitting with a group of his captors. Keith made a mental note to get a tray after dinner, just because he was unhappy being married to a human - a male human at that- didn't mean he could treat his partner cruelly. Even the animals his uncle kept from his conquests looked after their mates and Keith was surely better than them.

After the eating was done Keith was presented with the standard gifts of bonding, just small things like clothing, fine silks, trinkets from other galaxies and rare stones. They were about to escape back to the safety of their room when a servant bowed at him.

“The Emperor wishes to speak with you My Prince.” Keith wanted to run away but he resigned himself, nodded and handed off the gifts to another servant. 

“Wait here,” he told Lance. “I won't take long.” Then went to speak with his uncle. It was a short walk to the throne room, which itself was the focal point of the whole ship. The doors were large, intricate patterns etched into the surface. They swung open and Keith stepped inside. The room was bathed in warring purple and red light, it cast long and deep shadows over the figure lounging in the large throne. His uncle, always one for the dramatics. 

“You wished to speak with me My King.” Keith bowed his head in respect, looking at the carpet between his feet and the throne on which Zarkon sat. 

“Yes. I have a mission for you.” His uncle practically purred which meant he had an idea that was sure to benefit himself. “I want you to teach the champion. His fighting skills are already admirable so I think with the proper education he could become a great asset to me.” Keith had guessed as much. 

“As you wish my Lord.” 

“You are dismissed. I expect great things from you.” Keith gave a final respectful bow then left. He did not pause even when Lance asked what happened jogging after him, Keith didn't stop until he was safely in his room. 

 

X

 

Lance watched Keith flop onto the bed, the only sign he hadn't died was the occasional ear twitch. His ears - lance thought- were much like a cat's, flattening back when annoyed or twitching to catch a sound. Seeing as Keith needed some time Lance took the opportunity to rifle through the stuff they had gotten. Most of it just went over his head of what they could be, Lance was far more interested in the shiny gems. They came in all shapes, sizes and colors: so many Lance had to spread them out on the table. Fifty in all, and they were vastly different from each other. They were all exceptionally beautiful but one in particular held Lances interest. It was medium sized - compared to the others it came with- about the size as his thumbnail and such a rich blue it reminded him of the ocean. He had seen it once as a kid when his family made a trip back to Earth, it was the most serene thing hed ever seen. Waves rolled over white sand, blue thinning then retreating back to the rich blue that his Mama said was the same color of his eyes. 

“A color one could drown in.” Her voice was a ghost in his memory, one day he would forget it, hell he already forgot his family's faces. Lance held up the jewel to turn it in the light, watching the facets glint and color change as he turned it between his fingers. 

“Do you like it?” Lance nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Holy fucking shit!!!” Lance nearly fell out of the chair. He turned to see Keith sitting up on the bed instead of face down in the mountain of pillows. Ears back to their usual upright position

“Do you like it?” He repeated, expecting an answer. When Lance calmed the instinct to fight that itched under his skin he spoke.

“Yes, yes I like it, it reminds me of before. But by the Divine you shouldn't scare people like that, I could have hurt you.” Keith blinked. 

“Divine?” But then shook his head like it didn't matter. “If you like it then keep it.” Lance was surprised the prince gave it up so easily but didn't argue.

“Thanks. Hey do you know if I could get this set?” 

“Set?”

“Yeah like, ya know in a necklace or a ring. Though it would be too big for a ring.”

“You wish to wear it?” Keith said it like it was a foreign concept, which it might very well be since he hadn't seen a single Galra wear any accessories at the dinner. 

“Yeah, I mean it's pretty to look at and reminds me of my family.” Lance hadn't meant to reveal that much information but it was out there now. Keith just scowled at him, like he was thinking very hard, Lance shifted under the intense gaze. Then, without warning Keith stood and strode over the where Lance sat and held out his hand. 

“If that's what you want then I could get it done for you.” Lance looked down at the extended hand. It wasn't smaller than his by much and his fingers were long and slender, nails tipped with short, blunted claws. Lance thought for a minute, what was the worst that could happen? He’d never see the gemstone again? 

“Thanks.” Was all he said as he dropped the stone into the prince's open hand. 

“It might take a few days so I ask you to be patient. It's getting late, we have a long day tomorrow so you should get some rest.” Keith was already gathering a few things from the nightstand and a change of clothes from the closet. “Goodnight.” then closed the door behind him, leaving Lance alone.  

 

X

 

Keith walked down the hall to his study, his footsteps echoing in the emptiness. Running his thumb over the jewel sitting on his palm it was skin warm and smooth, the look of fondness on Lance's face was burned forever behind Keith's eyes. A strange feeling coiled itself behind his breastbone and Keith chalked it up to the thought of being bonded, it wasn't like he didn't know what that meant but to feel it was something else. His other hand ghosted over the band that was akin to a brand, Keith never expected to fall in love, not with anyone and he certainly didn't think Lance knew what it meant to be bonded and mated. But could they even come to like each other, there was that feeling again. Lance must have cared immensely for his family to show such an expression, it was one he had never seen before. Would an expression like that be shown in his direction? 

Upon entering his study Keith locked it behind him, he had encountered assassins before and learned to lock doors behind him. The study was small, must smaller than his room but had a second door leading to his library so there was no need for much shelving. Keith liked his quiet retreat, it was warm and reminded him of waking up in that warm pocket in your blankets. The desk was the most ornate piece of furniture he owned, sporting carved images of native Galraian creatures. He hoped Lance saw the key he left on the nightstand and locked himself in, he'd check before he went to sleep. Then sitting at his desk Keith pulled out his notebook and got to work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think this is any good please let me know


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The steps to closeness

Lance awoke the next morning, well he assumed it was morning since time in space was janky as hell and only a little disorientated, but one good look around the sparsely furnished bedroom told him that yesterday wasn't a dream. He stretched feeling more rested than he had in a long time. On the single nightstand by the bed was a tray with what looked like breakfast, something that looked like bread, a goopy substance (it was transparent purple and green swirled, yuck), some type of drink like the one Lance saw Keith drinking before, and what looked to be a recorder of some kind. It had strange buttons the symbols on which Lance could not hope to decipher, on it was an arrow pointing to one of the buttons, curious Lance pressed it. What came out was Keith's voice.

‘I have left this recording because you can't read Galran.’ Lance thought he sounded awkward, it was almost cute. ‘So I left this recording since you were asleep. We won't be able to meet until lunch since I have affairs that require my attention, so until then you are free to explore this wing of the castle. But make sure you take the key with you and lock the door after you, also please stay out of the study. Everywhere else is open to you.’ And that was it, nothing else, the recording just stopped unceremoniously. So with something to do other than battle Lance ate the food brought for him, it would be nice not having to worry about dying at the hand of another desperate prisoner. Dinner last night came eerily close to the feeling of the arena, just the thought of it made Lance’s skin crawl. Hopefully that wouldn’t happen again for a very very long time. After that he rummaged through the closet and found that most everything could fit him, but there were certain ones that had been clearly made to be fitted, so those didn’t fit his shoulders or the pants came up just short for Lance’s taste. But damn Keith had slender hips, though he wasn't one to talk but at least his own ass was nice. 

Once Lance had locked the door behind him he went exploring. There were many rooms but Lance had no idea what they could be used for. Though he did recognize some, like a room that clearly was sort of gym hybrid, another that looked like a pool, a room that had a jungle (?), and the library, there were many more rooms but Lance could not even guess at their purpose but the library held his interest the most. Lance could only guess that dusty bound paper with writing was a universal thing. Since the library was both the most familiar and the least freaky, Lance decided to stick around for a bit. After pulling some of the more illustrated works he looked for a place to sit. Most of the chairs were occupied with half open books and scrolls, so he settled for a lounge sofa thing that could have been pulled right from the 17th century. Lance could hit the pool when he felt safe, until then there was plenty to do.

 

X

 

Keith was surprised to find Lance already in the library when he left his study. Half curled up on one of the lounging chairs, long legs half tucked while Lance propped his cheek on one fist. The lamp light lit his hair just-so that it framed his face in a halo of pale brown. Lance must have really been into the book he was reading because he hadn't seen Keith enter, so Keith froze in place so he could watch. Lance had chosen one of the baggier robes from his closet, boy had shoulders, but it seemed just a little tight in said area. The neckline was cut in a “v” so Keith had no trouble spotting one very prominent and tanned collarbone, the dip was pronounced but the thought that it would get less dramatic when Lance’s appetite came back gave Keith a sense he couldn't quite place. With a cough he brought Lances attention onto himself. 

“Good read?” Blue eyes locked on him.

“Nope,” the boy's eyes dropped back down. “Can't read a thing, but the pictures are nicely detailed so I can get the jist.” 

“Well I'd like to help with that.” Now Keith only got an eyebrow raise in response. “Since you are technically royalty now you should at least know how read and speak Galrainian. And I will teach you.” Keith proceeded to pull various books from multiple shelves. “We’ll start easy.” Keith didn’t give Lance a choice because he really didn’t have one.

Lance was a fast learner, he showed up everyday and after a few days Keith started to bring lunch with him. They ate together and even shared stories childhood but Keith loved to hear about Lance's family. Somedays Lance would show up freshly showered and tired and other times Keith found him wrapped in the sheet from the bed. Keith had asked him about it but Lance only shrugged, Keith never found out why and figured if it wasn’t a human thing then it was entirely a Lance thing. He was sure it was a Lance thing.

On the fifth night Keith held up a completed necklace, it had taken countless trials to get it just right, and many sleepless nights, but Keith was proud of the work and the thought that Lance might like it made his chest swell. It glittered and shimmered in his palm, it’s light unobstructed by the thin bands that curled around it. Keith had a plan, go in and present the necklace, watch Lance’s reaction then leave. Simple, nice and easy, just three simple steps. So simple a cub could do it, but if that was the case then why did Keith’s insides feel so uneasy? Keith shook himself, now wasn’t the time to think about such things, he had a mission.

In space time got funny but the castle ship was in night mode, Keith could tell because the hallways were dimmed with only the barest of light. Keith ran his thumb over the faceted surface of the glittering gem, the simple action soothed him somewhat. It never failed to remind him of Lance’s own rich blue eyes. But just calling them blue was an injustice, Keith saw every shade from cerulean to Prussian blue in them. And when they caught the light, Divine it took Keith’s breath away. But wait, since when had Keith been such a sap? Was it the fact that being bonded really affected him? Or was something else that had started to sprout in the week they had been together, Keith didn’t know. The prince was so wrapped up in his own thoughts that when he finally arrived in front of his own door he paused. What if Lance didn’t like it? What if Lance never liked him? He shook his head, like it ever mattered if they liked each other. But the thought that he might never have a mate to love weighed on him, a small matter that hung in the back of his mind. But Keith was right, what did it matter if they liked each other they were stuck together and there was no going back, so In one fluid motion the prince unlocked the door, stepped inside and locked it behind him. Inside it was dark but Keith could still make out the bed with some clarity. Lance was curled up tightly, holding one of the pillows to his chest and drooling over the other. It was cute Keith had to admit. This human who had fought for his life for months was now sleeping soundly in his bed, Keith absently ran a finger over the band on his bonded’s arm. They were bound, until death and even then they would never be able to take another, it was the Galra way. That pang sounded again but Keith shoved it away, he expected nothing from this human, save for maybe a companionship not too much deeper than the one they had now.

Keith stifled a yawn into his hand, he had to get back to his office but maybe he could stay and watch his mate sleep for a little while longer. After all, if nothing else Lance was attractive and Keith saw no harm in just looking for a few minutes. So settling on the opposite end of the bed Keith made himself comfortable. The dip in the mattress caused the sleeping champion to stir, in a moment of panic Keith stroked his hair. He’d seen some of the servants to that to their children while they slept and it was the only thing he could think of. It was stupid and had no idea how to play it off if Lance woke up but seemed to work because Lance settled back down, sighing, he nuzzled back into the pillow and continued to drool. Yeah, Keith could definitely stay for a little while longer. 

 

X

 

Lance looked out over the planet from his balcony, it wasn’t Earth but it was his home. The sky was a tinge of green, which looking at it after seeing a bright blue sky made him wish he had a blue sky all the time, but oddly the grass and other foliage was green, just like Earth. Pinkish clouds drifted overhead as Lance helped his abuela. They were outside, peeling vegetables that were similar but altogether different from his homelands. In the distance he could hear music playing, it was soft and soothing even though it was obviously something to dance to. The sense of familiarity was enveloping but not overwhelming, like a thick quilt in winter. Beside him his abuela was humming a song that he’d heard all his life but never really knew where it came from, her voice was raspy from old age but Lance could not think of a single person he’d rather listen to as they sang. 

“Mijo, how long are you going to stay, everyone has left.” 

“Grama, I will stay until you kick me out.” The old woman’s eyes sparkled as she smiled up at him, Lance always knew she never felt her age. 

“If you talk like that and your mama will never get you back.”

“Abuela,” Lance chuckled. “I live two streets down, you see me everyday.” The old woman laughed, deepening her beautiful laugh lines and her blue eyes blazed. They were unlike his own, her’s were icy blue, light as ice in sunlight or as burning as a blowtorch. 

“Doesn’t mean I won’t steal you, now, off you go. Go enjoy your day off and I will see you for dinner.” 

“Alright,” Lance leans down and kisses her cheek. “I’ll see you later.” Then he makes his way through the familiar house and heads down to the beach. It wasn’t the beautiful blue water and the light tan sand of Earth but it was his, violet-blue water and mauve sand. It was pretty and whenever Lance got his hands on some paint he would try to capture that beauty, he had gotten close but could never really get it just right. 

A breeze lifted his hair, brushing the back of his neck as he turned. It didn’t smell of salt, not like the Earth beaches, it really didn’t smell like much of anything. But this time it smelled of something Lance couldn’t quite place but it was warm and really nice. So he continued to walk down the water's edge, water lapping at his bare ankles. It was well past noon and the warm light of the star was comforting against his back. 

The sounds of the colony were left behind, swallowed by the incoming tide. Lance loved the ocean, no matter what planet he was on, it was always his go to place: for thinking, for unwinding, for anything. Whenever he had a spare second you could always find Lance by the waterside. 

There was a place, between Lance’s colony and the next, that his family always visited, it was a secret just for them. It was a small alcove in a cliff, filled with sand and gentle lapping waves and he was coming up on it. Lance could hear his family before he saw them, playful screams and laughter floated joyful on the ocean breeze. And then they came into view, his family, the people he loved most in the whole universe, happy and safe. Lance waved and shouted at them, a goofy grin on his face, they all looked up and waved back. As his hand fell back to his side a warm pressure enveloped it, Lance looked down to see slender violet fingers were intertwined with his. Letting his eyes trail up the arm they were attached to, gold eyes locked on his baby blues. Keith was looking up at him, head tilted and ears flicking in the breeze and a gentle smile adorned his lips. The prince’s mouth moved but no sound came out, Keith was looking at him expectantly but also a bit nervous. Then the words drifted into his mind, like a ghost whispering on the wind. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?” 

Lance sat bolt upright in bed, he could feel sweat cooling rapidly on the back of his neck. He tried to breath, but they came in shallow bursts so it took a minute for his heart to stop jackhammering into his ribs and his breathing to even out. Lance ran his fingers through his hair, it was wet with sweat, gross, he’d have to take another bath and change before he could go back to sleep. But he could lay back for another minute before he got up if for nothing else than to calm his thundering heart, so he laid back and found the pillow pleasantly dry. The room was quiet, only the sound of soft breathing dampened the silence. Then the mattress dipped briefly, a puff of a breath and a sleepy murmur followed. Lance froze, he was supposed to be alone in this room and someone was in the bed with him. Panic and trained instinct screamed under his skin, turning his blood into fire. Slowly, ever so slowly, Lance sat up doing his best not to move a single other thing, and looked to the dark lump beside him on the bed. It was small, much smaller than most of the Galra he’d seen, and curled up sleeping soundly. So in a moment that Lance would look back on and ask himself what he’d been thinking, he turned on the bedside lamp. It wasn’t very bright but it was enough to make his eyes water. A grunt of disapproval came from the lump, which Lance could now clearly see was Keith, with his face buried into the sheets. The fire in Lance’s veins slowly ebbed away, being replaced with tentative curiosity. 

Keith was deeply asleep, Lance could tell that much since there wasn’t two lines between those thick black-purple brows. The prince murmured something incomprehensible and shifted just enough for something silver to catch the light, it was still mostly covered by the sheets and Lance had a quick battle with himself and lost. Gingerly he peeled back the sheet to reveal a thumbnail sized, blue gem wrapped delicately in silver wire. The chain, tangled helplessly between Keith’s fingers, was thin made of tiny loops. Everything around the stone seemed to be in emphasis of it. It was beautiful. Lance couldn’t help himself, he reached for the beautiful necklace. The second his fingertips made contact with lavender skin, Keith jumped up. The action was to sharp and unexpected that when Lance pulled back he fell right onto the floor with a resounding  _ BAM _ . 

“LANCE!” Keith cried. 

“I’m fine, ‘m fine.” He coughed, trying to disentangle himself from the monster that is the blanket. “It’s cool, you just startled me. But why did you do that? You almost took off my hand.” Keith looked away, ears trembling. 

“I..um..I’m not used to being touched, especially in my sleep. Which I didn’t mean to do, I’m sorry I’ll leave.”

“No, nononononono, no no. You are fine, you can stay.” Keith looked conflicted but stayed where he was, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed. Lance managed to free himself from the offending sheet and sit beside him, but not too close, that dream was still fresh in his mind. “So um,” Lance coughed to clear his throat. “Is that for me?” He pointed to the necklace still wrapped around Keith’s fingers. 

“Hm? Oh yes,” Keith held it out to him, blue gem dangling. “It was finished and I wanted to give it to you right away but when I came in you were asleep and…” Keith trailed off. “Well long story short I was tired from a meeting and fell asleep, so here.” He placed it gently in Lance’s hand. Upon a better look in full light it setting was beyond gorgeous, the wire was so thin it reminded Lance of the ivy the crawled bravely up the side of his abuela’s house. Fragile tendrils clinging and stretching bravely into open space. The stone itself was still beautiful, reminding him of home, it remained it’s odd shape but was definitely polished. To say Lance loved it might be a stretch (or the biggest understatement of the millennium he wasn't sure which), but it made him happy. 

“It’s beautiful, thank you.” Lance ran his thumb over the smooth surface, it quickly warmed under his touch. 

“You are welcome.” Keith looked genuinely pleased, at himself or that Lance was happy, Lance wasn’t sure but he was eager to wear it. He fiddled with the tiny clasp for a second but soon got it on him, it sat a few inches above his breast plate and for some reason it felt perfect. 

“Hey um, if I take it into the funky water or just liquid in general will I ruin the metal?” Keith shook his head. 

“No, it’s an alloy of a few precious metals so it won’t rust or degrade. Also unless put under great strain it shouldn’t break either.”

“Really?” Lance raised an eyebrow at that. The chain was so thin he was sure it would break, he reached up and gave a sharp but half hearted tug. It felt solid and not like it would snap. “Impressive.” Lance turned the stone between his fingertips, the picture of his family safe and free drifted into his mind and Lance smiled to himself. “Hey Keith.”

“Yeah?” Keith’s ears did a quick forward-back before settling back to a neutral position, (Lance found that Keith’s ears kinda gave away little hints of how he felt, but he didn’t have it all figured out yet).

“Thank you.” Keith smiled and it was the closest thing to warm Lance had ever seen since being taken. It was weird to see it on a Galra but Lance found it really nice on Keith. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance starts to deal with complicated emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this is long overdue huh? Ha well I finally finished and it took me much longer than I thought, though it is my longest chapter so far. Still feel free to yell at me in the comments about stuff.

Keith never thought the sounds of someone else moving around in his room would be comforting, not with all the assassin attempts from his youth and even some that still happened. But here he was, snuggled down in his bed and listening to another person live in his space. And it was pretty nice in Keith’s opinion, to have another breathing body without fear of being murdered. Divine, oh how Keith had forgotten how comfortable a bed could be. Keith turned his face deeper into the pillow, it smelled like Lance. Which, when Keith thought about it, should be a huge problem but instead it was just really nice. 

Maybe being bonded had muddied his brain, or possibly it was just being around someone who didn’t expect anything out of him, but Keith found himself wanting to be with Lance more. The human was just so different, it didn’t matter how he spoke or how he held myself; Keith could feel actually relaxed. And he craved it, like a dying man in a desert craved shade from the sun, it was something he didn’t know he needed so badly until he had gotten it. That was Lance, a refuge from the harsh world Keith had been brought up in. 

Soft singing floated in from the adjacent bathroom along with the sweet scent of soap. Keith didn’t recognize the song, or even the language, but the way it sounded was soothing and caused Keith to slip just a bit further into unconsciousness. Keith curled in on himself comfortably, this was okay. He must have drifted off a bit because he was jostled awake by Lance climbing back into bed. It was weird but Keith was too tired to care. 

“Hey,” Lance whispered. “Keith you awake?” He stayed quiet, maybe Lance would give up if he thought Keith was indeed asleep and proceed to sleep himself. But that particular hope died after three whole seconds. “Keith wake up!” Now Lance was aggressively whispering (Lance called it whisper yelling but that made no sense to Keith), and poked his shoulder. He wanted nothing more than to tell the human to just be quiet and let him rest but Keith was much too tired for confrontation, so he remained still. Lance made a small sound and Keith could imagine the pout on that very expressive face. A smile threatened to expose him but Keith managed to keep up his poker face. “KEITH.” Now Lance really did shout and not only that but he kicked Keith’s shin. 

“What is wrong with-”

“Ouch!” Lance cut him off. “What the hell? Are you wearing your boots, what was that it hurt?” 

“Well it wouldn’t hurt if you hadn’t kicked me. But the more important question is why you kicked me in the first place.”

“Oh my Divine, you are wearing shoes in bed.” Lance gasped in only that way he could. “Heathen, take those things off and I kicked you to wake you up.” Keith just rolled over onto his other side, facing away from his mate. 

“No, I always have slept with them on.” Keith huffed and tried to make himself comfortable again. 

“Well you aren’t doing that while you share a bed with me.”

“Then I won’t share a bed with you.” Keith threatened, but he made no move to get up. This was his bed after all and besides that Lance already let him stay, no way Keith was going back to his study tonight. 

There was silence between them and Keith took that as discussion over so he closed his eyes. But as Keith knew all too well silence did not always equal peace. As it was Lance had taken to huffing and mumbling to himself, it was easy enough for the prince to ignore. That is until Lance decided to rip the sheet off him and start tugging at his feet. 

“Lance, LANCE STOP!” Keith pulled back but received an elbow to the ribs for his troubles. 

“Sorry, sorry.” Was all Lance offered as an apology as he succeed in freeing one boot. “HA HA!” Lance laughed as Keith watched him throw the offending boot onto the floor; it landed with a solid thud. Keith felt defeated, he had spent too few nights actually sleeping and was much too tired to fight Lance over this. So instead he laid back and let it all happen, sleep lapping at his mind. 

Once Lance was done he threw back the blanket and Keith snuggled into it, it smelled of floral soap and that indescribable scent of Lance. That just added another layer of heaviness onto Keith, he could just sink into the bed and not come out for days. Sleep was just about to claim him when Lance’s voice broke the silence once more, but this time it was a soft whisper.

“Hey Keith?” 

“What is it now Lance?” He hissed and it came out more aggressively than keith really wanted it to but he was just so tired and wanted to sleep. There was a pause and Keith thought he might have given up. 

“Tomorrow, um, can we go to the pool?” The sheets rustled and Keith felt a light pressure on his back, then fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. “Please?” It was such an earnest and pleading request that Keith was taken aback. Couldn’t he go by himself? It wasn’t like Lance was incapable, but there was that little thing of being forced to fight for his life. Maybe he didn’t feel comfortable by himself for too long, Lance had been spending increasing amounts of time in the library. 

“Sure, that sounds good.” Lance’s face lit up, it was easy to see even in the nearly pitch dark room. 

“Thanks.” And with that the hand on Keith’s back disappeared and Lance rolled away. Lance’s breathing deepened and evened out as Keith lay there in the dark. He couldn’t help but think that things were going to so much more different than he first thought. 

 

X

 

Lance's sleep that night was uneventful, no nightmares (for once), no emotional dreams, just blessed rest. He was also the first to wake, and for one nano second the sound of someone else breathing next to him, making Lance think he was back home, pulled on his heart. He took a deep breath and pushed everything down, he could do that, Lance was good at it. Looking over Lance eyed up the sleeping Galran next to him. 

How had things come to this? Why had he been such an ass? Absently Lance's fingers came up to brush the band now fused with his skin. It was warm, but not quite skin warm. The etchings snagged gently on his finger tips. 

“Things could be worse.” The words fell flat into the quiet room. 

Keith huffed in his sleep and Lance had to admit he looked better without the constant wrinkles between his brows. Keith was cute but not squishy baby cute, the kind of cute that makes you want to protect whomever it is regardless if they were fully capable of protecting themselves. Lance sighed, this wasn't quite what Lance had bargained for but really he didn't know what he was getting himself into in the first place. So why was he starting to care now? No, that was wrong, he’d begun to care the second week in. Keith was so different from everything else he had been subjected to that it had been all too easy to form some kind of attachment. But even recognizing that Lance couldn't quite make himself believe it was that, Keith was too nice and made him feel like an equal for it to be some mental coping thing. Lance sighed again, he was a hot mess. And on top of it all it didn't help that Keith was easy on the eyes and patient and working his best within the confines of his status. That last one was endearing but then Lance had always been attracted to hard working individuals. 

On the other side of the bed Keith stirred like he was going to wake but only rolled over, so his back was facing Lance and his breathing evened out once more. Through the hugging fabric of Keith’s shirt (the he wore the previous day and wore to bed like a heathen), Lance could plainly see the toned muscles of his back. And Lance wondered when that man found time to train, or was it a Galra thing to always be buff with minimal workouts? 

Lance stared up at the plain metal ceiling, absently counting the smoothed rivulets. How long had it been since he got out of the arena really? It had to have been three weeks at the least and no more than a month and a half. To Lance it felt like only a few days and simultaneously been months. Time, regardless of space, was a funny thing. Because what was time other than a sentient mind trying to give order to the world around it. Just an arbitrary concept to keep the mind sane as you go through your existence in a never ending universe. 

“Okay, that’s enough of that. Time to get up.” Lance shot out of bed like his ass was lit on fire. He hated when he got philosophical, it always made him depressed and right now he couldn't afford to let his guard down. Now he was in a whole new arena and Lance couldn't decide if it was more dangerous than the pit. “Keith, Keith get up. You promised we would go to the pool.” Keith groaned as Lance rummaged in the closet. 

“It’s early, if I’m going to sleep in then let me sleep in.” Lance ignored him in favor of pulling endless amounts of pants. Like, how many pairs of pants did one man need? And most of them didn't even look worn. 

“Where do you keep the swimwear, Lancey needs new shorts.” Keith groaned but didn’t get up. 

“Far left bottom drawer.”

“Thank you!” Lance practically sang, he couldn't remember the last time he felt such innocent excitement. It was great. After some digging Lance found what he'd been looking for and changed out his bottoms. They were suspiciously like the trunks back home but Lance didn't think too much on that. “Keith, come on let's go.” Lance flopped himself back onto to the bed, which caused Keith to bounce and flounder. 

“Alright, alright.” Keith croaked again and sat up, sporting a tangled mess of hair. “How are you so energetic so early?” 

“Because I get regular sleep, dumbass.” Keith huffed in response as he burrowed back into the pillows, it was kinda cute to watch. Twinge. Gah not again. “Come on Keith, you said and I want to go now.” 

“You sound like a child.” Keith sounded much more awake now. 

“Yeah well I'm forever young at heart, so get up.”

“Young at… I'm going to take that as another human expression and leave it.” Now he sat up and stretched, muscles rippling and ears twitching. “Okay I'm up.” 

  
  


The pool felt great and feeling safe enough to stay in it for more than five minutes felt even better. The first time he went into the pool Lance couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watch and going to be to be ambushed at any second. The second time he didn’t even make it into the water because his danger sense just shot through the roof as soon as he stepped into the room. But now, with Keith here to watch his back, Lance took his time to lazily back stroke from one end to the other. Keith, on the other hand, had dressed in swimming trunks, which suspiciously looked a lot like human swimwear but Lance wasn’t complaining, but stayed on the sidelines. Opting instead to use some strange looking alien gym equipment. Neither of them spoke, which was just fine by Lance, he could focus on working out his damaged muscles some. Eventually Lance stopped swimming and just floated contentedly. It had been so long that he was actually worried he wouldn’t remember, that his body had long forgotten how to do anything but fight and survive. Luckily his body remembered and Lance silently thanked the universe that he hadn’t been broken too badly. 

“How are you doing that?” 

“Doing what?” 

“That! What you're doing right now!” Lance peeled one eye open to look over in Keith's direction. 

“Floating?”  

“Is that what you’re doing?” Lance watched as Keith stepped up to the edge of the pool and sat down. “How are you doing it?”

“I don’ know,” Lance felt kind of weird being watched so intensely for doing nothing. “I just know how?” Keith made a noise, clearly unsatisfied with that answer. Silence lasted for a few beats before Kith broke it. 

“Can all humans do it?”

“Um, not all but I never met a human who couldn't.” Keith just nodded, this was really weird. Why did he want to know about humans? A vague sense of dread bubbled up in Lance's chest. “Why?”

“No real reason. I just never saw it happen, Galra sink.” 

“Wait wait, Galra can't swim?!?” Lance almost lost his balance.

“No, we are taught to swim but only the basics so we don't drown.” Keith was no longer looking at Lance but now at the water right in front of him. He was drawing his brows together causing those deep lines to show up again. Lance wasn't planning on saying anything but his mouth decided to say words anyway. 

“Want me to teach you?” Lance! What the fuck are you saying now? What can’t you ever keep your mouth shut? 

“You won't drown me?” Wait, was he serious?

“I won't drown you.” Lance promised. 

It took a few more minutes of persuading but eventually Keith got into the pool, they stayed in the shallow end. At first Lance held most of his weight while instructing Keith to relax and to breath dammit. But, after nearly half an hour, Lance could let go without the prince losing his collective shit. 

“This is pretty cool.” Keith breathed, ears still flicking but not because of irritation anymore. “It's almost like floating in zero gravity but you're still touching stuff.” 

“Yeah.” It wasn't much but it was the only thing Lance could think to say as he floated not five feet from his partner. This time had been nice, Lance didn't have to worry about what was going on outside, even the sense of being watched had almost completely dissipated. Not quite but with Keith there with him Lance felt far from vulnerable. But with all things their time was cut short, this time it was by Thace walking into the room. 

“Keith.” 

“Father.” Keith swam to the edge of the pool and pulled himself out. Lance shivered a bit when the Galrans sharp yellow gaze scanned over him then snapped back to his son. It made him feel like he was quickly appraised and found inconsequential, it didn't make Lance feel very secure. If even this one Galra who saw him as nothing much then what hope was there that others would see him in any better light. It was all downhill from there. 

“There are a few things I need to speak with you about.” Again Thace's eyes flickered over to where Lance was still floating freely. Keith must have noticed and tensed as he moved to put his body between Lance and his father. 

“And?” Keith's tone was very 'anything you have to say can be said in front of him’, but even so Lance backstroked to the farthest corner of the pool, hoping it was enough to ease the tension Keith carried. In his peripheral Lance watched father and son talk,after more than one check in his direction Lance let himself sink to the bottom of the pool. 

It was calming, almost like sensory deprivation but without the being driven mad part. The world above the water was distorted as light filtered down through the small peaks and troughs of the surface. It was almost like being back home, almost like at any moment his older brother would scoop him right out of the water and chuck him back in. Almost. 

Lance didn't know how long he was under the water, time always escaped him like this, but it couldn't have been too long before a shadow appeared over the lip of the pool and Lance heard some muffled sound that could have been his name. Lance surfaced. 

“What's up?” Lance asked, pushing water out of his face. 

“Lance are you okay???” Keith was on the verge of panicking, grabbing hold of Lance and pulling him out with more strength than Lance thought would be possible from Keith. “I turned my back for one second and you end up drowning!!!” Keith was taking it upon himself to check Lance over, and if Lance was being honest with himself he really didn't mind. 

“Keith chill, I wasn't drowning. I was perfectly fine and in control. Can Galra not hold their breath for very long?” 

“But you w- … holding your breath… so you weren't drowning…” Lance watched as the prince’s shoulders slumped and let out a breath of relief. “It was a human thing, you're fine.” 

“I guess so,” he took the reprieve to look around. The older Galra was no longer present. “What did you dad want?” Shakily Keith got to his feet, Lance followed suit. 

“That can wait, for now please promise me you won't do that again. I know it's fine but I can't help but worry.” Keith looked utterly exhausted and defeated as he stood before Lance. It was so far from the usual guarded man that Lance was used to that it was unnerving for him to witness, let alone know he was the cause of it. 

“I promise, okay?” Lance tried to be soft and reassuring at the same time, but was unsure if he pulled off the latter. 

“Okay,” Keith nodded. “But I think I've had enough water fun to last me a while. I'm going back. I have things to take care of before we depart.” 

“Depart?” Lance's interest was now piqued. “Where are we going?” Lance followed his husband as he gathered his things and started to towel off. 

“In two days we will be entering the Limbrus Galaxy, we have a planet there that houses a large base and fronts as an interstellar port of sorts. Everything from market places to domestic shopping and even factories. I've been tasked with inspecting the whole operation.” Keith sighed and sat on the nearest bench. “Honestly I don't want to go but any other Galra would be spotted right away and cause panic, destroying the facade we've worked to hard to maintain. So of course I'm going but there is no way I'm leaving you here alone.” 

“I am more than capable of protecting myself.” Lance huffed. 

“Capable or not you'd be alone on this ship with not a single ally and sorely outnumbered.” Keith nearly snarled, Lance knew it wasn't at him but still it was kind of scary. 

“Then I'll go with you.” Keith opened his mouth but shut it when Lance put his hand up. “I mean as a functional part of your disguise. A hooded figure alone will only get you so far, and it's not like I'm a known entity so I could be useful.” Keith blinked at him, amethyst threaded gold regarding him with what Lance hoped was something along the lines of impressed. 

“I hadn't thought that far.” He admitted. “ But I would feel more at ease if you were to stay by my side. I wouldn't trust anyone else to keep you safe. Plus I could use the help.” Lance's heart leapt, but he quickly pushed down his glee and tried not to think too much on it. Not that that stopped him from being a tad excited. 

The two went back to the bedroom, though Keith only stayed long enough to change clothes, leaving Lance to his own devices. So for the rest of the afternoon, or what Lance assumed was afternoon, he read the Galran History book he'd picked up earlier that week; it was slow going. 

 

X

 

Lance glanced up from his book, one of countless times in the hours since Keith left, and eyed up the door. The silence in the hall beyond had never felt so lonely and a bed never so empty. With every passing minute Lance felt the tension rise and strain within him, it snapped as he slammed the book closed and stood. 

The empty halls echoed with Lance's footsteps, they sounded hollow and it didn't help the anxious ball that rolled in on itself in his chest. Lance worried at his bottom lip, what could he do? What if Keith wasn't there and had gone out without telling him? The thought of being all alone once more in this hostile place sent Lance's heart into a panic. He had to know, if he couldn't see Keith then just hearing his voice through the door would be enough. He just needed to know he wasn't completely alone again. So with a thankfully steady hand Lance knocked on the door of the prince's study. No answer. Okay maybe he was just asleep, Lance thought, no big deal. He knew he should turn around, just turn and go back to try and get some sleep but Lance couldn't bring himself to step away from the door. Lances gaze flickered down to the keypad, he didn't know the pin or if his fingerprint would open the door. He pretty much knew there was no chance it would but he couldn't help it, Lance lifted his thumb and pressed it to the pad. It beeped softly.

The door slid open with a hushed whoosh, that in itself scared him, Keith always locked his study especially when he was working. That was the first flag. The room beyond was largely empty except for a lone Galra sitting at a large desk. Lance could only see a small portion of his shoulders but they were slumped and hunched forward. That was the second red flag, Keith always had annoyingly perfect posture outside of sleeping. Lance wanted to go to him but he hung back, standing safely behind the threshold. He wanted to check on his husband but he had been not to enter, Lance had always been one for respecting other people's boundaries so he wanted to do nothing more than respect Keith’s. But what really pushed him over into seriously concerned spouse mode was the way Keith’s ears lay in his black-purplish hair. It wasn’t the same way they laid back like when he was pissed, no, this gave Keith’s whole silhouette an uncharacteristic defeated air. 

“Keith?” Lance’s voice was barely a whisper as he leaned a bit further into the room. Hey, he may have been edged into wanting to do whatever he could but Lance still felt some serious hesitation about entering Keith’s space. But the prince didn’t seem to hear his name, so Lance ventured further in, stepping inside just enough that the door closed behind him. It closed with another hushed whoosh and silence. Well as much silence as there could be with two people breathing in a room and the faint sounds of scratching on paper. “Keith?” Lance tried again, a bit louder but ultimately much softer than normal. Still no response. Lance took another step forward then another, gauging the response he might get until he was standing directly behind Keith’s chair and still the other had not noticed him. 

Taking a peek at Keith’s face revealed that he might not even be awake, well not asleep per say but looking sleep deprived enough to be living death. Keith’s head rested on one hand as the other scribbled over a half filled out sheet, his eyes glued heavily lidded to a glowing tablet. From what Lance could read it looked like instructions, almost a how-to and what-needs-to-be-done kind of list. Was he preparing for their departure in two days? Well, more like a day and a half now, but that wasn't the point. Wasn’t Thace going to take over for the few days they’d be gone? Lance frowned. Was Keith seriously overworking himself with lists and menial things until he collapsed? It almost reminded Lance of when his father got stressed and would stay up from dusk til dawn worrying over this or that, until his mother came to wrap her arms around his shoulders and convince him that he needed to rest. Lance was struck to do the very same thing, the need to comfort and care, so he did. With another low whisper Lance slowly wrapped Keith in a strong but gentle embrace. 

“Keith, take a break.” 

“Lance?” Keith yawned but his hand didn’t stop writing nor did he look up. “It’s late you should be resting.” Lance scoffed. 

“That’s rich coming from you. You haven’t stopped working for nearly a whole day.” Keith only hummed in response. “You didn't eat lunch or dinner and when was the last time you slept, huh?” 

“I’m sorry but I need to get this done before we go and I am nowhere near finished. I’ll go to bed when I finish so go on before me.” Okay, so the first tactic didn’t work and Lance didn't really have a Plan B, he’d just have to wing it. 

“You honestly can't think you can do quality work like this, can you?” Keith yawned again and simply nodded. “Can't you just let Thace take over? He must have before you were born.” 

“No, no,” Keith straightened a tiny bit. “It’s my responsibility and I won't just give it up when I feel it's convenient.” Something slipped into Keith’s tone that Lance couldn't quite place but nonetheless left him feeling hollow. Lances grip tightened causing Keith to only now look at him.

“Isn't it also your responsibility to be my husband?” What the hell was he even saying? “So,” Lance nuzzled into Keith’s neck. “So come to bed with me….please.” Lance had no idea what he was doing, he felt stupid but that was so small compared to the growing sense of worry that was settling in his stomach. The deepening sense of desperation, of what though Lance didn't know. It was almost enough to choke him from the inside out. 

Silence permeated the space around them and every second felt heavier than the last, Lance’s confidence evaporated and he pulled back. Straightening Lance couldn't bring himself to look Keith in the face, it wasn't that he felt shame for showing care (it wasn't quite love was it? At least not yet), it was the act of shallow selfishness itself. That, even if he really was worried about Keith, he was asking for himself. That despite the chaos and the life he was forced to lead, Lance found himself harbouring genuine feelings for the prince. And that made him feel kind of guilty, he hadn't known what it meant to bind himself to a Galra, all the tradition and careful choosing that went into such an act. And Keith didn't even have a choice so Lance felt he had no right to expect affection of any kind, let alone act on his budding feelings. So he turned, guilt washed over him because he not only entered someone else's space but interrupted Keith’s work. 

“Sorry, I’ll just….” Lance turned and quickly strode for the door. “Goodnight, don't overwork yourself.”

“Lance.” It was just one word but the tone with which Keith had said it made Lance stop in his tracks, he was so close to leaving and pretending this whole thing never happened. The sound of rustling papers was almost deafening in the hovering silence, Lance couldn’t help but feel guilty. A heavy sigh. “You’re right, Thace will do just fine.” A warm hand slipped into Lance’s and Keith brought it to his lips, kissing Lances knuckles. “Thank you.” The soft, genuine smile keith showed him made Lance's heart skip. Quickly followed by that ever familiar pang of bitter guilt. 

Lance led Keith back to the room they shared, taking extra time to lock, check and re check that door while Keith got settled into bed. Lance got in beside him, a flurry of conflicting emotions buzzing around his mind. But Lance settled on the simple action of laying facing Keith and holding the hand that wasn't being used to rub Keith's eye. 

It didn't take long, no more than a minute for Keith's exhaustion to completely swallow him up. But Lance, Lance took a bit longer. He took that time to watch over Keith as he slept, letting his eyes trace invisible lines over his jaw, the shape of his eyes, the way his long bangs fell over his forehead and hair spilling onto the pillow. It was almost like Lance was trying to commit this moment to his memory, maybe he was or maybe he was just trying to figure out when he first started to see this being before him as a man he could see himself living a quiet and happy life with. But Lance never managed to answer to that question, or if he had he'd forgotten it in the thick hazy of sleep the cloud and then consumed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be from Keith's prospective so nobody freak out about the long Lance chapter, Keith will have plenty of time to come to his own conclusions about things, or will he?

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this please leave a comment, I love hearing from you and will do my best to answer questions or just start up a conversation. 
> 
> It means everything to me to hear for you all so if you can please send me some love <3


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